Like many people who study healthcare later in life, their child’s medical challenges trigger an interest in the profession.
That is the case for Ozarks Technical Community College student Arica Timmons. When her son was born in 2007, he suffered a brachial plexus injury during delivery, which affected his ability to use his right arm. He had no feeling or movement in his right arm and required a nerve transplant at four months old.
“We had to go to St. Louis for surgeries and rehabilitation,” Arica said. “That was when I first encountered an occupational therapy department. They taught me how to help stimulate the nerves in his arm to regain movement and feeling.”
Seventeen years after that introduction to occupational therapy, Arica will graduate with her associate degree in occupational therapy assistant this May.
Arica came to OTC right out of Aurora High School in 2003 and attended for three semesters, but had to leave school to go back and help out on her family farm. She worked in Aurora at Sonic Drive-In, Movie Gallery, Casey’s and Mazzio’s Pizza. She enjoyed serving the community.
“Sometimes I had three jobs at the same time,” Arica said.
Then, not looking to enter healthcare, Arica applied for a job as a cook at a nursing home.
“They said, ‘We need people to work on the floor,’” Arica said. “I told them I was not a certified nurse assistant (CNA), and they offered to train me.”
It put her on a path to a healthcare career.
In 2006, Arica worked at the Mt. Vernon nursing home before switching to Mercy Home Care and Hospice in 2009, which had her traveling to homes and facilities across southwest Missouri, offering clients nursing assistance. She found the work rewarding, but Arica needed to earn more to make ends meet.
“I often drove by the property in Republic and saw the sign that said OTC was coming to Republic. I was ecstatic,” Arica said. “I found out my high school classmate James Ackerman was the Republic Center director, and he encouraged me to return to college.”
“Like many adult learners, Arica lacked confidence in her ability to return to college,” said former OTC Republic Center Director James Ackerman. “But I was a familiar face of support. The Republic center was close to Aurora, and OTC offered her scheduling flexibility to juggle work, family and college.”
Despite that lack of confidence, she rose to the challenge. To her surprise, Arica did well in her prerequisite classes. She even excelled in the rigorous anatomy and physiology course, a requirement for many of OTC’s health sciences programs.
“My first class in 17 years, I stuck myself in an accelerated course. I don’t know why I did that. I cried several times and prayed a lot,” Arica said. “By God’s grace, I got an A.”
When she returned to OTC, Arica had her son and her two-year-old daughter. Thankfully, paying for college was not an issue for this single mom because Arica qualified for the Missouri Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant. Fast Track pays the tuition and fees for qualified Missourians 25 and older who pursue credentials in high-demand fields.
Arica is not the first woman in her family to return to OTC for career training later in life. After her parents separated, Arica’s mother, Elizabeth, attended OTC to earn a credential in medical coding.
On the verge of graduating, Arica imagines the good she can do in her community, especially for her family.
“Even through my self-doubt, I tried my best every day. I didn’t just want a new career; I wanted to better myself, my community and my children’s future. I’m grateful for all the opportunities and encouragement from OTC.”
She never believed she would have been a college student once again. “This experience has taught me so much, including things about myself. I surprised myself.”
“I went back to school because I was living paycheck to paycheck, and I wanted more for my kids,” Arica said. “I’ve loved being an adult learner. You get the sense that things can change if you dream it, work hard enough and take advantage of opportunities. When life knocks you down, you must get back up and at least try. This is the legacy I hope to leave my children. Do your best and let God do the rest.”